The Labors of Friendship
by secondhandrose
Summary: Chuck decides she wants children. How will Ned and Chuck make this happen, and how can Olive help? THIS HAS BEEN REWRITTEN.
1. The Dream

**Prologue: **

-It's been three years, six months, two weeks, and five days since we last saw the pie-holers. The facts were these: Emerson Cod, with the gentle urging of The Piemaker and Charlotte Charles, obtained an online Minister's License and married the happy couple on Valentines Day. Chuck and Olive are now the BEST of friends, and Olive has come to terms with Ned's marriage because she is now married as well: to Alfredo Alderissio. Olive and Fredo know about Ned's secret, but have not told a soul. Alfredo has gotten his phobia of the earth losing its atmosphere under control. Chuck's aunts have accepted their niece's death and are back in the pool, but Chuck still sends them her homeopathic pies as a precautionary action.

* * *

Chuck's eyelids fluttered open, leery of the pain that was sure to come when the light hit her pupils. She'd had the most amazing dream:

She and Ned were strolling through the park, their fingers intertwined. Oh, how she wished they could do that for real! It gave her the strangest sensation, having him touch her like that. It was a simple, yet meaningful gesture that showed how much he cared.

The air was crisp, and smelled of freshly cut grass. One of Ned's crooked grins manifested itself on his lips, and the light made foreign patterns on his skin as it filtered through the leaves of the trees above them. She was in heaven.

She let her gaze fall upon a nearby swing set just in time to see a little girl let out a high-pitched squeal of pleasure. She didn't know why, but for some reason she couldn't take her eyes off of the child. She felt…protective of her. She remembered thinking that the girl looked like her, sort of. The child looked up, and took notice of Chuck. Excitedly, the girl ran toward Chuck and clung to her knees.

"Mommy!" the girl said. "I missed you."

That's where she woke up.

* * *

The dream, however irrelevant, rattled Chuck. It wasn't so much the dream itself, but the feeling it gave her. She had gotten all fuzzy inside, and in an instant she had wanted to cradle the little girl in her arms and never let her go.

All day she thought about the dream. As she baked pies, and even as she served them, the dream followed her. Young families filled the Pie Hole that day. She remembered one family in particular who had walked through the door together, and the couple simultaneously kissed their baby on either cheek. Just witnessing that tender moment made Chuck's heart ache. A lump formed in her throat, and she asked Ned if she could take the day off due to a headache.

Lying in bed that afternoon, Chuck's head was crowded with her thoughts. She and the Piemaker had been married for two years now, and they hadn't even talked about starting a family. Of course, she knew that they could never have a biological child together; of that she was certain. However, she didn't want to adopt. The idea had sounded great at first, but then she realized, someone who is supposed to be dead can't adopt a child. And the chances were slim that Ned would be allowed to adopt a child if they thought he was single. _I suppose I should just talk to Ned first_ she thought. _Who knows? Maybe he wants a family as badly as I do. _Chuck rolled over on her side and tried to get some sleep, but her racing thoughts kept her awake. Eventually she gave up the idea of slumber and hummed softly as she studied the ceiling, her thumbs quarreling restlessly with each other.


	2. Popping a new kind of question

Chuck heard the click of a key in the door, and pretended she was sleeping.

"Chuck?" she heard Ned call. His voice sent shivers down her spine. "How's your head?"

"It still hurts a bit, but I'll be fine." She made a dramatic display of yawning and stretching her arms. "How was your day?"

"Business was great! It hasn't been this good in months; poor Olive worked her butt off! There were a ton of young families today. Little kids sure do eat a lot of pie…" His voice trailed off as he gazed into her eyes.

"Yeah…um, that's actually what I want to talk to you about." Chuck said softly, trying to get a feel for how he felt about the subject.

"You want to talk about how much pie kids eat?" He looked at her with confusion.

Chuck let out a nervous giggle. "No… more about kids in general."

"Okay then," Ned said, now genuinely interested. "Go ahead."

Chuck looked around. "Doesn't our apartment ever seem quiet to you? You know, since it's just us all the time?"

"Not really," he replied matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders. "And after all, we do have Digby."

"Yes, but you can't _touch _Digby, Ned. Or me. Don't you want someone to snuggle with, someone to give you a big bear hug when you get home?" She was getting frustrated.

" That would be nice, but… I've gotten used to it. I was never too keen on physical contact anyway. "

"Never mind, Ned," Her tone was harsh. "Forget everything I said." Chuck collapsed back onto the bed and dove under the covers, fighting back tears. "My head hurts again. I'm going to take another nap."

"Chuck, are you okay? You're not acting like yourself today…" Ned wracked his brain for an explanation for Chuck's peculiar behavior. "Did I say something?"

Chuck sighed. She HAD to get her point across and know how he felt. "Let me try again." She took a deep breath in, and just said it, plain and simple. "Ned, I want kids. I want to wipe food off of little faces, and hear the pitter-patter of little feet running everywhere!" Her voice was slowly rising in volume and pitch. "I want to burp a baby, and not just any baby, MY BABY! God Ned, It's been two years. Don't you think we're ready?" By this time she was standing on the bed, her hands clenching fistfuls of her brown wavy tresses.

By this time Ned's eyes were the size of baseballs. He sat in stunned silence for a few moments, trying to comprehend what he'd just heard. "Um…I don't know Chuck…." He was too astonished to really process everything she had just said. "It's perfect the way things are now…you and me, me and you. An even number." He moved his hands back and forth between the two of them. "A third person would just throw off the balance. Are you sure about this?" He flicked an imaginary piece of lint off of his sweater.

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life," she gushed. "Except of how much I love you…"

Chucks words melted the Piemaker. He couldn't help thinking to himself how nice it would feel to be touched with affection, how nice it would be to be hugged every day. How nice it would be to watch someone grow, to guide them. And now that he thought about it, their apartment did seem a little quiet sometimes….

"Chuck…" he chose his words carefully. "I would love to have kids with you, I really, really would, but…"

"But what?!" her voice was thick with desperation.

"You know we can't have biological children." They couldn't even take Chuck to the doctor for fear of recognition.

"WE can't have children, Ned, but somebody else can! I know in-vitro is expensive, and I know we'll have to pay the mother, and-"

"Okay!" Ned interrupted. He had never heard Chuck want something this badly, and he loved her so much. He just wanted to make her happy, and the more he thought about it, the more having a baby with the love of his life just sounded _right_. Like it was supposed to happen. And if they could figure out a way to make it happen, he would make sure it did. "We'll do that." He smiled. "We can start a family." He got butterflies in his stomach as he heard himself say the words. "We can start a family," he repeated in an aside to himself.

Chuck's voice quivered. "Really?! You mean it?!" She couldn't believe the Piemaker had given in, just like that. Now tears were running down her face. She would have launched herself at him, right there, if she knew it wouldn't kill her. "It was torture today seeing all those families in the Pie Hole. They all looked so happy…"

"And you're not happy?" Ned's face fell. "Don't I make you happy?"

"Oh Ned," Chuck realized what she had said. "You do make me happy, honey. More that anyone else on the planet, but that's exactly why I want children with you. I wasn't thinking when I said that, I'm sorry. I love you more than life itself…and you're the one who gave me that to begin with."

"You know Chuck, I can already tell you're going to be a great mother." Ned gave a sly grin.

"Really?" Chuck was intrigued. "How?"

"Because you're not even pregnant, but you're still having mood swings!"

"Oh, shut up!" Chuck threw a pillow at Ned with such force that he flew off the bed. They erupted into an explosion of laughter. Ned righted himself and sat as close to Chuck as he could. The couple shared I love you's and sat in blissful silence, listening to the even breathing of a peaceful Digby in slumber and musing on the future.


	3. Interesting Cuisine

The sweet aroma of a gingerbread-scented candle filled the cozy little apartment that Alfredo Alderissio and Olive Snook now shared. Alfredo had been engrossed in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" when a squeaky voice broke his concentration.

"Fredo honey, could you come set the table? I'm a bit busy…"

"Coming," he called as he dog-eared his page. His eyes wandered over to a hook right outside the kitchen door. Olive's apron was missing. That could mean only one thing: she was trying out yet another one of her…_creative_…recipes. Recently Olive had gotten into health-food frenzy, and Alfredo had tasted everything from tofu French fries to a broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and quail egg smoothie.

"Sweetie, you're just going to love dinner tonight!" Olive clapped her hands excitedly.

"What are you making?" asked Fredo, wary of the answer.

"Hamburgers."

Fredo was relieved. "Really? Because I thought you were going to-"

"Spinach hamburgers!"

His stomach dropped. "Sounds….delicious…" He forced a smile.

Olive picked up on Fredo's disappointment. "You hate the idea, don't you?"

"No, no," backpedaled a guilty Fredo. "I haven't even tasted them yet. Are they done?"

"Yes," chimed Olive, her enthusiasm restored. "Here you are." She put a greenish-looking burger on the plate in front of him. "See, you take some ground beef and a spinach puree and-"

"I'm not… interested in the specifics," Fredo intercepted. He sighed. There was nothing he could do to avoid coming in contact with that…_thing_ Olive had made for him. "Here goes nothing." Alfredo took a big bite, and got a mouthful of the absolute worst thing he had ever tasted in his life. He made a vain attempt not to contort his face, but swallowed dramatically. It took a while to go down; the slimy thing stuck in his throat for a few seconds. He dove for his horse-shaped mug to wash the taste from his mouth, unsuccessfully.

"It….it definitely has a unique flavor…" His eyebrows pinched together and his lips puckered. He didn't want to hurt Olive's feelings, but he didn't want to lie to her either, so he only made assuring but true comments. "And, hey, spinach is great for you! It helps your eyesight, you know. I heard it makes you really strong…"

Despite her husband's positive remarks, it was obvious to Olive that he hated the recipe.

"You don't have to lie to me," Her eyes filled with tears. "If you didn't like it, you just should have said something. Instead, you stand here and promote the health benefits of spinach like Popeye the Sailor Man!"

Fredo put his arms around Olive. She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. She looked so vulnerable, so fragile. He kissed her on the forehead, and stroked her hair. They stood like this for several minutes, until Fredo decided to break the silence.

"I wouldn't mind being Popeye," he whispered, "if it meant standing here forever with my Olive Oyl,"

The romantic moment was intercepted by an eager knock on the door. Olive pulled away from their embrace.

"I'll get the door, Popeye," She said in a teasing tone as she tapped the tip of his nose with her finger. "You tend to your spinach,"


	4. Breaking the news

Olive opened the door and Chuck nearly tackled her to the floor. It took the brunette a moment to catch her breath, and her face was fluched."You, me, alone, NOW."

It didn't take long for Olive to pick up on the urgency of the matter. "Oh, okay honey. Popeye, I'll be back in a minute!"

Chuck momentarily forgot her excitement. "Uh…Olive, did you just call your husband…Popeye?"

"Oh… yeah. Long story. Very dull." Olive changed the subject, embarrassed. "I'm more interested in what you have to tell me." Olive said quietly, wiggling her eyebrows as she pulled Chuck into her bedroom. She closed the door carefully and pushed Chuck into a sitting position on the bed. "Spill!"

"Oh, Olive, you won't believe what Ned just said!" She told her best friend about everything, starting with the dream.

Olive stood, silent and open-mouthed in shock. Chuck looked at her watch, counting down the seconds before….

Olive let out a prolonged scream of excitement, jumping up and down in circles. She flung herself at Chuck, wrapping her in a strangling hug. "Oh my God Chuck! Honey, this is AMAZING!"

Suddenly Alfredo busted in the room. "What's wrong?!" His eyes were wild and he was clutching a baseball bat. Chuck and Olive burst into laughter. They explained their reason for the noise.

Fredo was stunned. "A baby? Oh my gosh…."

"I know, Isn't it wonderful?" Olive pulled her friend into another big bear hug. "But, hon, you and Ned can't have biological children." She paused. "Wow, THAT could ruin a night, huh?" Olive laughed. "and in-vitro is so expensive…"

"I know, but I think we have enough in savings to handle it," Chuck's Cheshire grin was contagious, and Olive's expression quickly mirrored her friend's. She took Chuck's hands in her own and squeezed them. "I'm so _happy_ for you!" She gushed.

"Uh…I'm gonna go," Fredo said off-handedly.

"Where are you going, sweetie?" Olive asked, cocking her head to the side.

"I'm going to head over to Ned's, to send him my condolences…"

"Oh, be quiet Popeye!" Olive yelled. "This is a momentous occasion! Be happy for them!" Immediately Olive started spurting out baby names, and shower plans. "Everything will be pink and blue, all of it!"

"Olive…."

"Pink and blue ribbons, and cupcakes…"

"Olive."

…and goody bags, and confetti, and-"

"OLIVE!"

Olive's face went red. "I'm just so excited!"

Chuck twirled an auburn lock around her fingers, suddenly nervous. Well, I'm glad you feel that way, because there's something I have to ask you."

Olive threw her hands up into the air. "Sure, anything! Lay it on me."

"Olive…" Chuck hesitated and looked to make sure Fredo had gone. She bit her lip in anticipation. "Olive, I want you to be my surrogate."


	5. A BIG favor

Olive's mouth hung open.

"Pause. Rewind! You want me to be your WHAT?!"

"Surrogate, Olive. I know it's a lot to ask, given your past with Ned and all, but it would mean so much to me if you said yes. You're the only person I could trust with my child."

Olive was still in shock. She shook her head in disbelief. "Sweetie pie, do you know what you're asking? You're asking me to have not just your baby, but NED'S baby. I'm not sure I can do that." She looked straight into Chuck's eyes. "Does he know that you're asking me to do this?"

"Well…no not yet." Chuck winced with guilt. "I thought I should have your consent first. You're my best friend, Olive. I trust you. "

"I don't know…" Olive was conflicted. Hadn't she and Fredo wanted children? What would she say to him? But when she looked over into Chuck's pleading eyes, she knew in her heart what she had to do.

The blonde nodded, slowly. "Okay, I'll do it." Olive exhaled as the words left her lips. She suddenly got chills. "I'm honored that you would trust me with something so important."

Chuck laughed, and then started to cry. Her sobs of joy were shortly followed by Olive's own tears. They embraced each other and rocked back and forth. Chuck suddenly pulled away.

"What about Fredo?"

"I'll talk to him," Olive whispered in a reassuring tone. "I'll talk to him." She wiped away a tear that was making its way down Chuck's face, and looked into her eyes. "Don't you worry about a thing," Olive ran her hand up and down her friends back comfortingly, and thought about what she had just gotten herself into.


	6. Obtaining approval

Chuck had been gone for about an hour before Fredo got home. Olive had practiced her speech at least a million times, not that it really mattered. She was going to do what she wanted no matter what her husband said. It would just be a whole lot easier if he was okay with the whole thing.

"Sorry I'm late Olive, I stopped by the barber's shop to get my hair cut."

"At 9:00 P.M.?" Olive arched an eyebrow, questioningly.

"Oh, yeah, he stays open late." Fredo avoided Olive's convicting glance as he ran a nervous hand through his hair.

"I see…if you got your hair cut, how come there's food on your face?" She reached up and wiped a glob of ketchup off the corner of Fredo's mouth with her index finger, her other hand resting on her hip.

"Oh! Yeah….about that…I was going….and it happened….and the thing…and this guy…..and…" Fredo had nothing. The jig was up. "Okay, fine. I went to get something to eat." His hands fell to his sides with a thud. "There was just no way I was finishing that burger Olive. I'm sorry, it's just that-"

She grabbed him by the shirt collar and planted a huge kiss on his lips. Fredo went weak in the knees.

"You….you're not mad at me?" He whispered, amazed.

"Of course not," Olive spoke in a husky voice, and she ran her fingers down his chest. She was setting him up. If she got him in a good mood, it would be easier to break the news to him.

"Baby, I have to tell you something," She widened her eyes to make herself look as innocent as possible. "I um…..kinda agreed to be Ned and Chuck's surrogate."

"You…did…WHAT?"

"Before you say anything else, hear me out." She launched into the speech she had been preparing for. "Chuck is my best friend, and you know I would do anything for her. This just happens to be what she asked me to do. How could I refuse? The job pays 10,000 dollars, but it's not about the money. I am honored that she would trust us with this, and you should be too. " Olive crossed her arms after a moment of silence. Alfredo just stood there blankly, dumbfounded. "Well?"

"I guess it's okay." Alfredo gave in, knowing all too well that this was a battle he wasn't going to win. "But, you do know it will technically be your biological baby, right?"

"I'm fully aware, and I couldn't care less. I want to do this for Chuck."

"Alright, baby, I'm with you every step of the way. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything," Olive was just relieved he had taken the news so well. She had an amazing husband.

"When you start feeling hormonal, go over to Ned and Chuck's okay? If I didn't cause it, I don't want to have to deal with it."

The two shared a good laugh and started for bed. "Yessss!" she whispered to herself as she did a little spastic victory dance when Fredo wasn't looking.

"Did you say something?" He asked.

"Who, me? No…" Olive suppressed a grin. "You _must_ be hearing things…"


	7. Day of the Procedure

When Chuck broke the news to Ned that Olive was to be their surrogate, he wasn't at all pleased. He eventually warmed up to the idea, though, because he knew how badly Chuck wanted it. Now, he was actually happy that Olive would carry his baby; he knew that she really cared and would take the matter seriously. He realized that he didn't know anybody (except Chuck ) as well as he knew Olive, and he trusted her more than anybody he knew (besides Chuck).

The day of the first ultrasound, everyone was tense. They had already gone through months of less-than-pleasant fertility treatments and other procedures, and on this day, they were going to find out if their efforts had been worthwhile. Luckily, the doctor didn't ask too many questions about why Ned and a disguised Chuck were standing so far apart the whole time. It was risky for her to be there, but there was no way she was going to miss this. Fredo was not permitted in, so he sat nervously in a sticky pleather chair in the waiting room. In about 15 minutes, Olive, Ned, and Chuck materialized. Olive was beaming, and Chuck was once again crying her eyes out. Ned, however, was pale.

As soon as Fredo saw Olive, he jumped up and grasped her shoulders. "Well? Did it take??"

Olive waited a few moments for dramatic effect before smiling and holding up a picture of the tiny blob of a fetus that was now safely growing inside of her. "There's definitely a baby on board!"

Alfredo shook his head and kissed her, holding her tight. "Amazing. This is amazing. This baby is amazing. _You're_ amazing." He laughed. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

Olive giggled. "Honey, the baby is this big," she pressed her thumb and index finger together for emphasis. "I don't think we can tell yet." She shrieked as Fredo picked her up honeymoon-style and carried her to the car.

"I don't want you to have to lift a finger! I'll do all the cleaning, and the cooking, and I'll even serve pies if I have to!" He placed her into the passenger seat carefully and fastened her seatbelt.

"That's very sweet of you, but I'm _pregnant_, not a paraplegic."

"Right," Fredo realized he was being overprotective. "Can I still do the cooking?" He asked hopefully as he climbed into the driver's seat.

Olive laughed as she realized what he was getting at. "Fine dear, you can do all the cooking. My recipes aren't too hard."

Fredo groaned as he started the car. He whispered under his breath," Yeah, they aren't so appetizing either…"

"I heard that!"


	8. Sickness and Shopping

Alfredo Alderissio awoke to the unmistakable sound of his wife throwing up in the bathroom. Olive was three months pregnant, and the morning sickness had started about three weeks ago. An incredibly guilty Chuck had shown up every morning since then to hold up Olive's hair and whisper words of encouragement. At first Fredo had wanted to do this, but Chuck insisted he let her. After all, she was the reason Olive was so sick anyway.

Chuck arrived right on cue and rushed straight to the bathroom, ignoring Alfredo completely. Olive was hovering over the toilet, and her face had a greenish tinge to it.

"Oh! You poor thing!" Chuck felt terrible. Olive groaned and threw up again. Chuck rushed to her, and began massaging her shoulders gently. "I am so sorry..." she kept repeating.

"It's not so bad," Olive reassured Chuck feebly. "It only lasts a few hours anyway,"

"Well, that's a few hours longer than it ought to. I feel horrible putting you through-"

Olive puked again. When she was through, she said, "Why don't you go home. I'll be okay in another 20 minutes or so. Don't worry about me," Olive looked exhausted; she was leaned against the bathtub and massaged her temples.

"Alright, if that's what you want," sighed an unconvinced Chuck. "Call me later and we can go shopping, kay?"

Even in mid heave, the word shopping made Olive smile. "Sure thing," she managed, before diving for the toilet once more.

Chuck arrived home to paint fumes and a concentrated Ned in overalls, paint splattered all over his usual black and grey attire.

He was painting the only spare room in their apartment, the one Chuck put her extra books in, a pale yellow. "For the baby," Ned proclaimed proudly.

Chuck was overjoyed. "When did you decide to do this?" She turned around in a circle, admiring the room from all angles.

"About 2 days ago. When you left to see Olive I started. Do you think it's big enough?"

"It's perfect," Chuck sighed as she sat down on an unopened paint can. "Just perfect,"

"Oh, speaking of Olive, how is she feeling?" Ned showed genuine concern.

"Let's just say when I left her she was green…" Chuck winced as she remembered the state of her friend.

"Poor thing," Ned re-dipped his paintbrush. "Hey, you're good with the sewing machine, right?"

"More or less," Chuck was confused. "After all, I had a lot of practice, being stuck indoors all day. There's not much you can do with a sewing machine, foreign language tapes, and a fridge full of Gouda. Why?"

"Do you think you could make Olive some new Pie Hole uniforms? I don't think she'll fit into her old ones for long." Ned stuck his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he carefully avoided the unprotected trim with his brush.

"Oh god, don't let her hear you say that!" Chucks eyes went wide. "She'll kill you!"

The phone rang, and Chuck flounced over to answer it.

"Oh hey sweetie, are you feeling better? Yes….Okay…..20 minutes?….Gotcha. Buh-bye! _*click*_ That was Olive. She's feeling better, so I'm going to treat her to a little shopping spree. I'll be back around 4:30," Chuck grabbed her purse and swiped a coat of tint over her full lips.

"That's fine," Ned smiled. "I still have to do the trim," He opened up a can of high-gloss white paint with a screwdriver before looking up at his wife. "Have fun!"


	9. Pep Talk

As soon as Chuck left, Ned rushed down to Emerson's office. He needed a pep-talk, man to man. He sat down in the big leather chair and twiddled his thumbs, keeping his gaze focused on the neon sign in the window.

"I'm having doubts, Emerson."

"About what?" Emerson could not really care less about what was troubling Ned, but he was out of yarn, so he listened anyway.

"This whole baby thing. I mean, am I really father material? And what if it inherits my gift, you know, if it's able to bring things back to life? I had a horrible childhood….what if the same thing happens to my kid?"

"Man, you've just got cold feet. You'll be a great dad." Oh, how he longed for some yarn!

"Emerson, my feet aren't cold, they're frozen solid out in the middle of Alaska where nobody will ever, ever find them. Before you know it they'll get hypothermia, or frostbite, and then it won't be any use finding them because they'll be _dead_!"

"Look man, a baby is easy stuff! It eats, cries, and poops. How hard can that be?" He was getting annoyed.

"Chuck is just so sure of everything. Not once have I heard her say that she is worried about when the baby comes."

"That's 'cause she's a woman. It comes naturally to them. Just like football comes naturally to us guys. Children are like…" Emerson paused a minute to find the right word. "…like pop-up books. First all you start with is the plot and some paper. But then, with a little love and TLC, you end up with this wonderful, colorful pop-up book. A pop-up book that makes you proud to say, 'Hey, I made that!'"

Ned glared at Emerson, irritated. "Emerson, we aren't talking about a pop-up book here, we are talking about a precious, fragile human life! A life that I could scar permanently if I screw up!"

Emerson sighed. He had just wasted a perfectly good analogy and 15 minutes of his life he would never get back. "Oh, look, I'm late for a meeting! What a shame!" Emerson exclaimed with mock disappointment. "Well it was nice talking to you, Ned. Bye now!"

As Ned watched Emerson leave, he felt lonelier that he had ever felt in his whole life.


	10. Hormones' Grand Entrance

Chuck and Olive arrived home from their shopping spree, and Olive wasn't too happy.

" I….look like a w-w-w-WHALE!" Olive collapsed into sobs as Chuck held her.

"What's wrong?" Ned mouthed to Chuck as he hung his coat up.

"Olive didn't fit into anything she liked today, and the…uh…. _hormones_ are kicking in," Chuck whispered the word as if it were forbidden.

"All I wanted was to have a little f-f-f-fun. Trying on pants was like riding a BULL!"

Ned knew just what to say. "Olive, I think you look beautiful." He sat next to her and put his hand on her knee.

"Really?" Olive looked up at him with a tear and mascara-streaked face, and sniffled.

Ned looked down at her stomach, which now had a faint but definite curve. "Are you kidding? You look absolutely stunning."

"That's really sweet of you…Ned," Olive's voice cracked. "But it's THE BIGGEST LIE YOU'VE EVER TOLD IN YOUR LIFE!"

Okay, so he _thought_ he knew exactly what to say.

Olive fell back into Chucks arms and continued to wail. Chuck rocked her friend side to side and whispered comforting words in her ear while casting an annoyed glance at her husband.

Ned took that as his cue to leave. He went into the kitchen and got a peach pie going. Even now, he could hear Olive's muffled sobs. He felt so sorry for her…how could he put her through this? _Only six more months _he thought. _Only six more months._

Charlotte Charles sat alone in her apartment, completely engrossed in a parenting magazine. Excited didn't even begin to describe how she felt. Ever since she was little she envisioned herself with children, but when Ned brought her back to life, she figured that it would never happen. She had tried to make peace with it, but she knew all too well that she could never completely be at peace with not having something she had passionately wanted for so long. But now that she was going to have a child of her own, she felt that her heart had swelled, giving her more capacity to love than she ever thought possible. The feeling was ethereal.

A flood of thoughts assaulted her mind when she dared let it rest. What would her baby's personality be like? Would it be a boy or a girl? Who would she look the most like, Olive or Ned? She would, of course, be happy either way. What would her name be? Would she have her father's gift?

An urgent knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. A high pitched voice pierced the air from the hallway. "Chuck, are you there? Oh, please be there!"

Chuck recognized the voice instantly. "Olive?"

She rushed to open the door, and the blonde rushed inside, not bothering to wait for an invitation (not that she really needed one). "Chuck, where's Ned?"

"Down at the Pie Hole. Olive, what on earth—"

"Give me your hand."

"What?"

"Give. Me. Your. Hand."

Confused, Chuck did as Olive asked. Olive took Chuck's hand and placed it on her belly, directly to the right of her belly button. Chuck waited, and then felt—_something_ beneath her fingers. She waited, shocked, and it came again; the faintest, tiniest flutter of movement. Her misty eyes met those of Olive's, and for a split second she wanted to break down completely. She held it together though, and squeezed Olive's shoulders.

"I love you, you know that?" She leaned down until she was level with Olive's stomach.

"And I love you, too, whoever you are."

* * *

The next three months in Olive Snook's pregnancy were extremely hard on her and the rest of the Pie Holers. The morning sickness had turned into morning and afternoon sickness, so Olive could only work from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. And even when she was working, challenges presented themselves. Sometimes Olive's cravings were so bad that she would devour a customer's pie before she served it to them, and subconsciously deliver an empty plate. She would then apologize profusely, and greet Ned in the kitchen with a guilty look and shrugged shoulders. Ned, while annoyed, just kept telling himself she couldn't help it, and doled out plenty of gift cards to those unfortunate Pie Hole customers who'd had their pie eaten.

On this day however, Olive only had half-an-hour left of work, and she had yet to eat anyone's pie. She had even developed a method to work faster by balancing not just a plate in either hand, but also one on her six-month-old belly. She teetered over to each customer and simply grinned at their perplexed glances. Ned just watched her and shook his head, totally amazed by the woman's creativity.

"Talk about a way to make things original, eh pie boy?" she sauntered over to Ned in the kitchen, supporting her back with one hand.

"You've more than made up for the last few weeks, Olive."

She shrugged, modestly. "I tried."

Ned's smile was quickly replaced by a stunned wince as Olive turned green and puked all over the lemon pie he had been preparing.

"Oh…Olive…." Ned couldn't be mad at her.

Olive was hovering over the sink, waiting for the rollercoaster in her stomach to subside so she could make her way upstairs. "Ned, I'm so sorry. I was doing so well today! Whoever named this shit 'morning sickness' needs to go to hell."

Ned rushed over to the tiny blonde waitress and wiped her mouth off with a dishcloth. "It's alright. You should just go upstairs." He wrinkled his nose at the smell that was taking over the room. "Actually Olive, I…uh… don't think you should continue working."

"What?" she was horrified. "Ned, I have to work! How else am I going to pay my bills?"

"Relax, Olive. It's not doing you any good being here. We'll give you half of your pay for being our surrogate in advance so you can still make all of your payments without…" he finished his sentence by gesturing to the mess on the counter.

Olive sighed. "Yeah, that's probably the best thing to do. Thanks." She was unenthusiastic.

Ned guided Olive to the stairs and then proceeded to clean and disinfect the mess she had left on the counter. He couldn't help feeling sorry for her. _She's trying her best_, he assured himself.

Later that night, Olive was curled in bed alongside Alfredo when, for no reason whatsoever, she felt her lip start to quiver. Her eyes started to burn, and before she knew it, she was sobbing, the shaking of her shoulders waking her sleeping husband.

He sat up quickly, in alarm, looking from side to side, momentarily disoriented. "You'kay honey?" His voice groggy. "Whasamatter?"

Her wails got louder and she pressed her face into his chest. "I….I don't know!"

Fredo came to his senses rather quickly."Oh, darling…" He stroked her hair as she cried, knowing by now that the best way to calm her down was to just let her raging emotions run their course. Eventually her cries subsided, and she snuggled up next to his body, hiccoughing lightly.

"Fredo?" she murmured.

"Yes, love?"

"I don't think I can do this anymore." She whimpered. "I never feel myself …I can never tell if it's me or the mood swings talking….I'm so sorry I woke you up. I'm a terrible wife!" She started to cry again.

"Oh, hush now…" he soothed. I hurt him to see her like this, it really did. "You are the most beautiful, wonderful, loving wife a man could ever ask for."

"Even despite the hormones?" she asked timidly.

"Even despite the hormones." He laughed, before slipping into dreamland, holding her tightly.


	11. Doubts' Departure

Ned's hands shook as he gripped the steering wheel. Olive was now eights months along, and she was having an ultrasound today. Ned and Chuck were extremely nervous, even though things had gotten much easier in the pregnancy. The morning sickness had stopped, and the mood swings had subsided to a tolerable level.

They finally pulled up at the hospital, and Olive waddled up to them. She looked like a snake that had swallowed a basketball. Fredo followed closely behind, guiding his unsteady wife with a hand on her back.

Chuck let out a laugh when she saw Fredo was carrying a leopard print and pink trimmed purse. "Haha, Fredo, that purse really brings out your eyes!"

Olive grinned. "He offered to carry it for me. Isn't that sweet?" she pinched his cheeks.

"Yeah yeah yeah," an annoyed Fredo looked at his watch. "We'd better head on in,"

*****************

"Oh wow…." Olive breathed as she saw the figure on the tiny screen.

Chuck just stared blankly at the image. She was in disbelief. Olive had had ultrasounds before, but they had never really looked this much like a baby. She looked down at Olive and started to tear up.

"Oh, sugar!" Olive laughed as she embraced her friend. "I think you've been more hormonal than I have!"

"I know, I know…," Chuck's head was spinning. Only two more months and she would be cradling her baby in her arms.

"Chuck honey? Do you want to know the sex of the baby? It's up to you."

Chuck looked over at the Piemaker, who had been silent this whole time. "I don't know. Ned, do you want to know?"

"Huh?" Ned hadn't been paying attention. He was too mesmerized by the picture. "Let me get this straight..." Ned looked at the doctor, ignoring Chuck's question. "That," he pointed to the screen,"…is inside of her?" he pointed to Olive. "And it's mine?"

The doctor chuckled. "Yes, sir!"

"Oh my god….. " Ned snapped out of his daze. "What was that you were you asking me?"

Chuck shook her head and shot a knowing glance to Olive. "I said, do you want to know the sex of the baby?" They had been asked this question at the last three ultrasounds and had declined each time, but she wanted to make sure Ned was still certain.

"Oh…um…yes. I mean no. I mean yes. Wait, NO! No. I don't."

"Is that your final answer?" Chuck couldn't help but tease him.

Ned was flustered. "Yes….it is."

As Ned and Chuck climbed into their separate beds that night, Ned decided he ought to tell Chuck how he had been feeling. The ultrasound really made everything real for him. Before, he had never really grasped the concept that his baby was inside of Olive. He knew it, of course, but it hadn't really hit him. But he had just seen his baby, and there was no denying it. He was going to be a father soon, and he needed to tie up any loose ends.

"Chuck?" Ned wasn't sure how to start. He momentarily forgot what he wanted to say when he looked at her. God, she was beautiful tonight, especially in the moonlight that filtered in through the blinds and illuminated her skin. His heart swelled…he was so glad she was his. The sensation was so strong it nearly brought him to tears. That's when all of his doubts vanished. He knew that as long as he had her to guide him, he would make a

good father.

"Yes?" Chuck turned over in her bed to face him.

"Oh, nothing." Ned felt foolish having ever doubted himself.

"No, I want to know." Ned loved Chuck with all his heart, but sometimes she could be so stubborn!

"Oh, I was just going to say that you look beautiful tonight, that's all."

'Oh, you!" Chuck blushed and smiled.

As Ned watched Chuck close her eyes, his own heart leapt. Suddenly, he felt as if the baby couldn't come soon enough.

**Meanwhile…..**

Alfredo lovingly gazed at his very pregnant wife. Olive Snook, who had fallen asleep waiting for her husband to emerge from his shower, dozed peacefully atop the comforter of their king-sized bed. Her hand rested protectively on her belly, and Fredo thought he could make out the faintest hint of a grin on her serene face. She looked so tiny compared to the massive headboard; she reminded him of the old porcelain dolls his mother used to collect. She was so innocent looking, lying there all alone. He crept around to her side of the bed and pulled the quilt up over her as he kissed her forehead. He then climbed in next to her and put his arm around her (which was hard to do, given her swollen stomach). He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of pure happiness dancing through his head.


	12. Surprise!

It was Christmas Eve, Olive was due in two weeks, and the pie-holers had been extremely busy. Ned and Chuck had finished the nursery, and Chuck had been attending Lamaze classes with Olive (which Ned had successfully gotten out of). Fredo was worried sick, and he waited on Olive hand and foot.

Emerson walked into the Pie Hole to find a nervous Ned stress-baking with a blank expression on his face. "Hey, man, you okay?"

"Oh, yeah…" Ned was embarrassed. "What do you need?"

"We've got a murder case to deal with back in Coeur de Coeurs. You don't have to wake up anybody, we're just going to look around the crime scene and try to get familiar with the people involved."

"Ugh…a murder investigation on Christmas Eve? Can't it wait? I have to stay here and shovel snow, anyway. Merry Christmas to me." Ned's voice was thick with sarcasm.

"Ooh, can I come, Emerson?" Chuck had been eaves dropping in the stairwell.

Emerson rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess so. But I'll need another pair of hands. Someone to help lift some boxes that are in the way of a safe we need to check out,"

Chuck pressed her lips together as she thought. Then her face lit up. "Fredo can come! He's never been with us before!"

As if by magic, Fredo appeared at the bottom of the steps. "Olive's asleep," he whispered. "I thought I'd come down here and get a snack. Oh, hi Emerson."

"Hey, pasta boy, do you lift with your legs?"

"Um…..yeah, I guess."

"Are you interested in helping us investigate a murder?"

Fredo lit up. "Yeah, that sounds awesome!" His face fell. "Oh, but I promised I'd take care of Olive, and I really don't want to leave her, so-"

"I'll watch her. You go ahead, Fredo." Ned was relieved he wouldn't have to go. The _last_ thing he wanted to do was walk around a depressing crime scene on Christmas Eve. He had enough to be worried about.

"Really? Thanks, Ned. I owe you one!" With that, Emerson, Chuck, and Alfredo walked out the door.

Ned was left all alone in the Pie hole, where he popped another pie into the oven. Amidst the silence, he heart tiny, teetering footsteps. Olive appeared rubbing her eyes, hair awry.

"Pie craving," Olive responded bluntly to Ned's questioning glance. "Whatcha got fresh?"

Ned looked into the pie case. "Peach, Cherry, Rhubarb, and Triple Berry."

"Eh, I'll take a Triple Berry." Olive's manners seemed to vanish with her grogginess. "I woke up when I heard the door close. Stupid bell…" She looked around. "Where's Chuck and Fredo?"

"Oh, they went down to look around a crime scene," Ned said offhandedly. "They'll be back later." He put a slice of Triple Berry down on a place at the bar, and Olive waddled over and struggled to sit down. Her bulging belly pressed against the counter and she wriggled from side to side in order to center herself on the stool. She went to work right away, taking a substantial bite of her pie. A look of deep satisfaction crossed her face. "Mmmm….Ned, you are the man."

He winked at her. "I know."

"Snow looks like it's getting pretty bad," Olive observed. She was slightly embarrassed by her pitiful attempt at conversation. Silence ensued. She looked down at herself: oversized t-shirt and sofee shorts. "Sorry I'm all..." she gestured to her less-than-presentable attire.

"You look fine." He smiled at her sheepishly. He had to admit, though she was tiny, pregnancy suited the blonde well. She had a glow about her all the time, even when she otherwise looked a little rough. "How've you been feeling?"

"Eh…" Olive looked down at herself again. "I've got heartburn like you wouldn't believe, and my feet are so swollen that none of my shoes fit anymore, not that it matters, because I can't see them to pick out a pair that matches anyway. I'm all emotional, and my back is killing me. Standing for more than 30 seconds at a time absolutely wears me out, and I can't let myself sit down unless there is someone to help me back up afterwards. These stupid Braxton-hicks are bugging the ever-living hell out of me, even though they don't hurt, they're just really uncomfortable and keep me from getting a decent amount of sleep. Oh, and I look like a whale. But other than that, I'm just peachy!" Her voice got considerably higher as she brought her rant to a close.

Ned looked at her sympathetically. "I guess you're ready for this whole ordeal to be over then, huh?"

Olive nodded. "Don't get me wrong, Ned, I am still ecstatic that I am able to do this for you. It has been an amazing experience, and something that I will never, ever regret. I'm just sick of feeling like a yak!" she punctuated her sentence by shoving the last forkful of pie into her mouth, spewing crumbs all over herself and the counter.

Ned laughed. "But you're a cute yak!" He used a dishcloth to gently wipe some of the crumbs from Olive's chin.

"I'm sure." She rolled her eyes, and then gave a little surprised gasp. "Ned, I think you've got a troublemaker on your hands. Little Bit hasn't stopped moving all day…" She smiled softly and seemed to forget about her surroundings for a moment, lovingly rubbing small circles on her belly. After feeling a few more sharp kicks to her ribs, Olive began humming a warm, impromptu melody. Her beautiful voice floated through the air and time seemed to stop. After a few minutes, the kicks subsided and Olive brought her song to a close. "That always seems to help." She marveled, before looking straight into the eyes of a dumbstruck Ned.

She giggled. "What's that look for?"

Ned, lack for words, walked around to her side of the bar and enveloped her in a hug. "You're amazing." He finally said after a few long moments.

Olive simply sighed, enjoying the feel of his arms wrapped so tightly around her. It was moments like these that made her realize that while feeling lousy, she was doing something very, very important for Ned and Chuck. They deserved to be happy, and she was more than thrilled to help them. Plus, she wasn't used to contact like this from Ned, he had never hugged her before. It made her feel special. After a few seconds, though, her muffled voice pierced the silence. "Uh…Ned?"

"Yeah?" he answered, not bothering to let go of her.

"Do you really think I'm amazing?"

He kissed the crown of her head. "Most definitely."

"Like…..really, really?"

"Really, really!"

"Then…." She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, running her fingers lovingly down his chest. "…would you mind getting me another piece of pie? Peach this time?"

Now it was Ned's turn to laugh. "Sure."

"Ah!" Olive squeaked. She directed her gaze back towards her midsection again. "I thought I'd taken care of you, sweetie! Could you calm down just a little bit so I can eat my pie, please?"

Ned looked at her, confused.

Realization struck Olive. "Haven't you ever felt it before? I know Chuck attacks me every time she sees me, but you've _never _felt it?"

Ned shook his head sheepishly.

"Oh, for the love of Pete!" Olive took Ned's hand sweetly and set it on her belly, covering it with her own. "Now, just wait…"

Suddenly, Ned felt a sharp kick beneath his splayed fingers. His breath caught in his throat. "Was that…did it just…?"

Olive beamed at him. "Amazing, isn't it? Wait, one second…" she moved their hands a few inches to the left. Ned felt the movement again.

An indescribable look passed over Ned's face, and he made no effort to move his hand. "Wow…"

Olive had never seen Ned like this before. It melted her to see him so affectionate and vulnerable. She blinked back tears. "You're going to be a great father, Ned."

"Thanks," he blushed. "For everything."

Suddenly, Olive's grip on Ned's hand tightened, and her sweet grin turned into a grimace.

"Jimminy Crispies…" Olive exhaled slowly; her eyes widened. After about 60 seconds she let go of the Piemaker, to reveal tiny marks where her French tips had dug into his hand.

"Olive!" Ned exclaimed in alarm. "What's the matter?"

Olive swallowed. "I think that was a contraction." She uttered almost inaudibly, furrowing her brow.

"Oh, my god…you mean….you mean…you can't _possibly_…" Ned was so stunned he couldn't string a sentence together.

She looked at him, concern written on every line of her countenance. "I think it's time."


	13. Time to panic

"Uh…maybe they're just more bra…brax…brax…"

"Braxton hicks." Olive finished his sentence for him. "And maybe you're right. I'm just…paranoid …"

"Yeah…" Ned tugged at his shirt collar. "Don't you have two weeks left until your due date anyway?"

"Yup."

The two continued to make pathetic small talk, trying to distract themselves from what had occurred a mere fifteen minutes ago.

"So, Olive…" Ned's eyes wandered as he tried to think of something to say. "Didn't you say that you'd been having Braxton-hicks all week? That's probably what it is, right?"

"Yeah, probably…" But Olive looked unconvinced. Suddenly she squeezed her eyes shut and let out a low moan, which was shortly followed by a loud splat on the ground.

"Oh my god," Olive's eyes were wide now, looking down. "Either my water just broke, or I just peed all over your floor!" Her already high voice rose an octave with fear. "God, Ned, this really _is_ happening!"

Ned's heart leapt with excitement and fear. "I….uh…I guess we'd better get you to the hospital, then." He put on his coat and got his car keys.

"No, really? You think?" Olive massaged her midsection with one hand as she braced herself against the counter with the other. "Ned, I don't think it's supposed to be happening this _fast_…"

"Olive, it's going to be okay. You just breathe, and I'll…I'll go out and pull the car around." Ned didn't want to let Olive know it, but he was scared to death. He pushed on the door to exit, but it wouldn't budge. Ned looked out the window into the vast stretch of white that engulfed the city. He couldn't make out anything, not even the neon lights of the drugstore across the street. "Oh, no…" Ned kicked the door in frustration, and hobbled over to Olive on his other foot. He couldn't believe his luck."We're snowed in!"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Olive, eyes closed, laid a hand across her belly and exhaled through pursed lips.

"It's okay!" Ned was getting hysterical. "We'll just um…call an ambulance. Yeah! That's what we'll do." He picked up the Pie Hole phone and held it to his ear with a trembling hand. No dial tone. He reached into his pocket and produced his cell phone, almost breaking it in half as he flipped it open. He punched the buttons in haste, and was relieved to hear it ring.

"It's ringing! See Olive, the ambulance will come and-"

_We're sorry; your call cannot be completed. Please try again later._

Ned cursed under his breath. "Dammit…no signal."

Olive was sitting at the bar, her head in her hands. "Are they coming?" She sounded so helpless. He lied. "Oh, yes, they're coming. It may take a while, though. They have to get through all this snow." He had to keep her calm.

Suddenly his thoughts switched to Chuck, out there somewhere, cold and shivering. _Emerson had better take care of her_ he thought. He realized he had not thought to ask exactly where the murder scene was. What if it was in the woods? She'd be in the middle of nowhere, the snow piling on top of her…

"Woah! Ned, Ned come here!" His thoughts were interrupted by Olive, and he hurried to her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulders and pinning her to him until he felt her shoulders relax.

Ned's voice shook. "Are…are they really painful yet?"

Olive nodded. "This can't happen here…it just can't.....I'm not…no…not here…_anywhere _but here…"

Ned took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Maybe we should get you upstairs, to a bed. You know, so you can…uh… try and relax." His voice had steadied.

"Yeah, good idea." Ned helped Olive off the barstool slowly, and they had gotten about halfway to the stairs when Olive's knees buckled and she sank to the floor. "I won't be able to get up there, Ned. Or back down again if the ambulance comes…" Olive's voice quivered. Ned couldn't carry her, and he couldn't bring himself to tell her that the ambulance _wasn't_ coming.

Ned racked his brain for something that might offer the poor woman some comfort.

"Let's get you into a booth, then. If we move the table, you can lie down." Together, they made their way to a booth. While Ned moved the table out of the way, Olive doubled over as another contraction seized her.

Ned looked up in alarm as Olive flew to his side and balled the sleeve of his shirt in her fist.

"Ned, they're getting worse already! I thought a woman's first time around was supposed to go slo---OW!" Her grip on Ned's shirt tightened. "Ned, this baby is coming," Olive gritted her teeth and hung onto Ned as he held her. "Fast!" After what seemed like a lifetime, the contraction ended.

"Ned, they're getting worse. Much, much worse!" Olive's small voice was panicked.

"Let's not think about that right now…" Ned tried to distract her, to no avail.

"It's kind of hard 'not to think about it' when it feels like someone is taking a _snow plow_ to my _ass_!" she growled at him.

"We sure could use that snow plow right about now," Ned mumbled under his breath.

He helped Olive lower herself onto the cushy seat of the booth. "So…when…when do you think…?"

Olive's voice was barely audible. "Well the pains are about 8 minutes apart, so….so…..oh Ned, I have no clue!" She broke into sobs, burying her face in her hands. "It's not supposed to happen like this!"

Ned took light hold of her small wrists and pulled her hands away from her face before bending down and enveloping her in a hug, rocking her back and forth gently. "It's okay, I'm sure Chuck will be back soon. She'll know what to do." The little voice in the back of his head, though, told him otherwise.

Olive lifted her head from Ned's chest to look up at him. "Ned, I'm scared." Olive looked so feeble. It broke Ned's heart to see her like that.

"I know. I know. We're going to get through this."

Olive attempted something of a smile. "Together?"

Ned stroked her hair comfortingly. "Together."


	14. Grand Entrance

Ned dabbed Olive's sweaty forehead as she panted through each contraction. She had grown less and less patient with Ned as the contractions grew closer together and she got less relief from the pain.

"I can't….believe… this has been going on… for three… hours…." Olive groaned.

"My mom was in labor for twelve hours with me," Ned blurted, instantly regretting the words.

"Twelve hours? Twelve hours of this?! Ned, I can't take this for twelve hours!" Olive grabbed Ned's hand with another contraction and squeezed it so hard purplish-blue bruises began to form immediately.

"Oh Ned…." Olive managed as the pain ebbed, inspecting the damage she had done. "I am so sorry…"

"You have no idea how bad that hurt!" Ned yelped, shaking his hand vigorously.

Olive glared at him and gestured to her abdomen.

Ned couldn't believe he had said that. "Or, maybe you do…."

"You think?!"

Ned leaned over to massage Olive's back when she snapped at him. "DON'T touch me!!!!" Ned was hurt, but he had to shake it off. She didn't mean what she was saying. Oh, how he wished he had attended those Lamaze classes after all!

"I'm sorry Ned," Olive squeaked. "I need you here with me, I really do." She shook her head. "Don't leave me…" Olive inhaled sharply as another contraction shook her small frame. She dug her nails into Ned's leg and winced. The minutes of respite were shortening rapidly.

"I would never leave you, Olive."

"I kno…oh!" her attempt at coherent speech during the contraction was a fruitless one.

"Breathe, sweetie…"

"Ned…I'm…unngh…try...unngh...ing!"

"Don't talk, just breathe. In and out…"

Olive nodded and panted heavily, until the contraction finally ended. "That one was really bad!" she whimpered into his shoulder.

Ned gave her a gentle reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be fine." He was surprised at how calm he sounded…on the inside he was panicked. It was so hard to watch her go through so much pain, when there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

"Olive…" Ned was massaging the small of Olive's back, despite her earlier warning. It seemed to help with the pain. "Why did you agree to do this for Chuck and me?"

"Because…Chuck is…my best…friend," Her chest heaved with her heavy breaths as she spoke.

"It had to have been more than that…" Ned protested.

"Maybe…" Olive confessed, "Maybe I wanted to show you…how much I cared about you. The lengths I would go to…. to make you … happy…" Olive whimpered as a new contraction ripped her body apart. She rolled on her side and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her abdomen. "Ned…make it _stop_…"

"I wish more than anything that I could, Olive." He cradled her sweaty head in his big warm hands and pulled her sodden hair back out of her eyes. He glanced at his watch. No…that only read two minutes…they couldn't be two minutes apart already…

"_Owww…._" She started to cry again. She had never felt so much pain in her life, and now she was almost delirious with it.

The sight of Olive's tears wrenched the Piemaker's heart. He's rather die than see her this way. He wanted to spill his heart out to her with words of thanks, but he couldn't speak. Lucky for him, she continued, though she sounded almost drunk.

"Maybe I wanted to show you… the kind of person…I am. Maybe…I wanted…to make you realize … the kind of girl you had missed out on. Maybe…I wanted to give you….the one thing…Chuck couldn't."

The last part stunned Ned. Could that really have been the reason behind all this? No…no that would be crazy. _She is in too much pain_ he thought to himself. _She doesn't know what she's saying…_

"Ned?" Olive whimpered after a particularly strong contraction had caused her to yell. "Am I scaring you? I'm so sorry, I just can't help---"

"Don't you apologize to me. I'm fine."

The tears were flowing faster. Ned gathered Olive in his arms and rocked her gently back and forth again, holding his breath every time she squeezed him with a contraction. Her moans were almost constant now, and Ned wished she were as numb as he was at the moment. He whispered words of encouragement in her ear, but they went unacknowledged. He ran his hand up and down her back in an attempt to comfort her, but he wasn't sure if the action was in vain or not. She continued to groan and yell, even louder now than before. She broke away from his embrace after quite a while and grimaced at him.

"Ned….my back is…killing me! Help me…stand up."

"Help you what?!"

"Ned I need to…get up and walk around for a while…please…it speeds things up and ….it'll take some of the pressure from…" Her face crumpled. "Shit, one second….."

Ned tenderly swept his lips across her temple and offered her his aching hand, using the other to brush away a few more tears that were trailing her cheek. She took it graciously, huffing and puffing through another wave of pain. When she relaxed, Ned helped her to a standing position carefully. He guided her as she took teetering, heavy steps around the restaurant, keeping his hand firmly on her back.

"You're doing great" he whispered in her ear.

Olive waddled slowly around the perimeter of the room, carefully staying close to things she could lean on every few minutes.

How could this happen? She and Chuck had planned everything out perfectly. This was not at all how she'd pictured it. In her dreams she was calm, excited, and _drugged. _Oh, how she wished she were drugged! She had not once imagined a natural birth would be this excruciating. She's always thought the women on TV were over-acting, but this was not just pain. This was awful. She couldn't even think during contractions anymore. All she could do was get Ned's attention and try to breathe. She felt so helpless.

All of a sudden the worst contraction yet hit Olive like lightening and she felt everything in her body shift downwards. He knees buckled, and she sank to the floor in a heap, Ned softening her fall by catching her under the arms at the last second. She ended up on all fours with her knees and elbows bent, her face toward the floor. She didn't even have time to tell Ned what was happening before another contraction of equal intensity struck and Olive's body began involuntarily pushing.

Ned dropped down beside her, terrified. "Olive, are you okay?!"

Olive could only whimper; the immense pain coursing through her stifled her ability to speak. Again her body gave a small push on its own. She was overwhelmed by a wave extreme pain and pressure. "Ned, the baby is coming!" Olive managed to gasp at the end of the massive contraction.

"Yeah, I got that much." Ned said softly, rubbing circles on Olive's back.

"No Ned," She tensed up again and groaned the rest of her words with yet another colossal contraction; they were coming mere seconds apart. The pressure came again. "I mean this baby is coming NOW. Right NOW." Another small push. Her head swam.

"I'm sure it feels that way, Olive. We have some time, just-"

"NED!" she yelled to get his attention. Olive felt like her body was splitting in two. She knew the baby was crowning, but she could not take one more contraction in this position or she swore she would die. "Ned…" she breathed, "turn…me…over…"

Ned, in a state of shock, helped Olive turn over and dragged her to the counter so that she was on the ground, on her back, sitting upright and leaning against the bar. She quickly stripped her underwear and shorts, trying to position herself and cope with the pain at the same time.

"Oh my god…..I—I can SEE it!" Ned went white as a ghost. It was both the most amazing and disgusting thing the Piemaker had ever seen in his life. His eyes grew to the size of pie pans. "I CAN SEE THE BABY!"

'That means…" Olive hissed through clenched teeth. "That means it's time for me to push, Ned."

"OH no….NO NO NO NO! Can't you hold it in?!"

Olive lost all self control. "NO NED, I CAN'T!!!" Red-faced, she sat up and braced herself against the wall, exhaling through pursed lips. "I have to push Ned." The volume and pitch of her voice was rising. Panic flashed in her eyes; her instincts were kicking in. "I **have** to push!!!" It took every bit of Olive's will not to just start pushing without him. "I can't hold back any longer Ned…you have to help me. I have to push!" her face was completely twisted with pain.

Ned just stared at Olive, his mouth hung open, unmoving.

"NED, SO HELP ME I'M STARTING WITHOUT YOU, DAMMIT!" Olive screamed as the will that had been holding her back earlier went away, as she grunted and pushed lightly, trying to get some feel for what she was doing. Tears streamed down her face with the searing pain; she couldn't believe she was doing this alone. She continued pushing on her own, making noises that she didn't even know she was capable of making.

The sight of his baby's head emerging snapped Ned out of his daze and set him to action. Ned instinctively ran to the kitchen to get a towel and draped it under Olive's open legs. Olive bent forward, her whole body rattling.

Ned panicked. "W-what do I have to do?!"

"Just…catch…AH!" her words disappeared into the push.

"Just do me a favor and underhand him, will you?" Ned grimaced. "I was never very good at baseball."

Olive took a deep breath and wrapped her hands around the back of her thighs, steadying herself. She pushed again as hard as she could, punctuating her efforts with a piercing scream. She powered through the pain that was shredding her to pieces.

Ned couldn't believe he was being so brave. "The head's coming! Man, it's got a big head!"

"It takes after its father!" Olive yelled as she weakly reached down and felt a curved, fuzzy skull bone. The worst of the pain shot through her and she shrieked, while still somehow managing to push.

"N-Ned!"

"I'm right here, don't worry. Push!"

"I AM!" Olive grunted and struggled. She pushed again with a violent growl, and panted as the head emerged.

"Wait…STOP!" Ned yelled in alarm once the head was born.

"_Stop?_ What do you mean, _stop_?" Olive was screaming.

"Olive, don't push. The cord's around its neck. You can't push Olive. Don't push."

"What?! Ned…get it off!"

Ned cringed, embarrassed by the task. "You want me to go…._down there_?"

"Just do it, you big baby!"

Ned reluctantly worked to loosen the cord.

"What's….taking….so…long?!!" she moaned. She bit down on her tongue fiercely as she fought the irresistible urge to push. Her legs vibrated as she breathed in and out, trying her hardest not to bear down. "Ned, I _HAVE _TO PUSH!"

"Don't you dare!" he growled at her. Ned was surprised by his tone. He wasn't used to taking charge.

Olive squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists as she cried out in frustration. Her mouth hung open as she took in ragged breaths. Her whole body burned with the excruciating need to push, but she fought against it. "Ned, please hurry up!" she begged.

"Okay!" he breathed a sigh of relief. "Push!"

Olive bore down, her whole body trembling with the exertion

"Keep going, Olive, you're doing it!" Her face blood-red, she did as she was told, screaming through clenched teeth. Olive pushed, and Ned encouraged her for another 15 minutes, and Olive was visibly drained. Her pushes were getting weaker.

Adrenaline started to pump through Ned in a way he had never experienced before. "Olive, you're doing so good! Peanut's almost here! 1…2…3…push!"

"NO!!!" Olive yelled back. "I'm too tired, Ned. I can't do this!" She started to sob uncontrollably. "It _hurts_! I can't do it anymore!"

Ned took Olive's hands and squeezed them. "Yes, you can Olive! The baby's right there! Just one more tiny push, and then it will all be over, I promise…"

She looked at him, her desperate eyes looking deeply into his, pleading for relief. "I can't push anymore, Ned. I can't…please …I can't do it!" Her words were dripping with exhaustion.

"Yes you can!" Ned encouraged. "You're the strongest woman alive…"

"But I'm so tired…" She cried hoarsely.

The sound broke Ned's heart. He kissed the hand he was holding and lowered his voice, changing tactics. "Chuck is counting on you to be strong."

Olive, picturing her best friend, took a deep breath and pushed with everything she had one last time, forcing her chin down to her chest. She wanted to scream, but her now-sore throat wouldn't allow it. The pain was excruciating, agonizing, absolutely unbearable, and then…it was over.

Then, the Pie Hole was filled with the most glorious sound Ned had ever heard in his life: the wailing of a baby….._his_ baby. He glanced at his watch: it was 12:01, Christmas Day.

"I've got her, Olive. I've got her!"

"Her?" Olive asked, her voice choked with emotion. She tried to prop herself up to see. "It's a girl?"

Ned beamed at her. "A beautiful one."

Ned cut the cord with the knife he had been boiling, and wrapped the baby in his apron. He brought her to Olive to hold.

Olive gasped at the sight of the screeching newborn. "Oh my god…" she breathed, as fresh tears slipped down her cheeks. She caressed the child's head in amazement. "Oh, Ned, she's gorgeous…I did it….I actually freakin' did it…."

"I knew you could, Olive," Ned was in shock. The baby was so…_little._ So _loud_. So _messy_. So utterly _perfect._ _His. _

The infant let out a particularly strong wail and Olive laughed. "I know sweetheart, I know. Being born is a bitch, isn't it? Well, we're gonna be okay now." After a few moments, Olive instinctively unbuttoned her shirt and lifted the baby to her chest. She instantly latched on as Olive stared down at her in maternal awe. "Wow…"

"Do you want me to--?"

"Oh please, Ned," she interrupted with a small laugh. What modesty I had is long gone after tonight."

Ned smiled. It was only when Olive wiped away his tears that he noticed he, too, was crying.

"Look at us," Olive half laughed, half sniffled. "We're a mess."

Ned smoothed the hair out of her face. "_I'm_ the mess. You look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

Olive beamed. "I can't believe it," she said, wiping away a few more tears with her free hand as the baby continued to nurse. "I just had a baby…" She looked up at Ned and he noticed right away there was a new glow about her. She reached up and tenderly placed her hand on Ned's cheek. "Congratulations, Papa."

The sight of Olive with his baby just felt so…so right. A tingly, numb feeling settled down within him. Then, he did something he never imagined he would ever do: he lunged forward and kissed Olive with all of the passion and fire he could possibly muster.

Olive's first instinct was to pull away, but then she melted into his kiss willingly. Olive felt her old feelings for the Piemaker slowly creep back into her consciousness. The fireworks were unimaginable; hadn't she ever felt this way when Fredo kissed her? She cleared his face from her mind. All that mattered was now, and she wanted to make this magical moment last as long as possible.

Ned finally pulled away, and Olive felt his sweet breath on her neck. When she looked at him, the silly grin on his face was replaced by a look of sheer terror.

"Oh my God... I'm--I'm sorry. I didn't mean to….I just-"

Olive shushed him. "It's okay." She winked. "Our secret."

Ned was about to say something when, suddenly, there was the loud sound of glass shattering as Emerson smashed the front door with a sledgehammer. Ned leapt in front of Olive to protect her, but luckily, the shrapnel didn't make it all the way to them. "You guys okay?" Emerson's booming voice came when he finished the job.

"We're fine." Ned answered. "But call for the ambulance, please!"

Olive furrowed her brow. "Ned, I thought you already…? She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence before Chuck rushed to her and pressed a damp cloth to her face. "Olive, I'm so sorry, I can't believe I let this happen!"

Olive, having given birth only minutes earlier, was still panting. Though, whether her heavy breath was from the labor or the kiss, she couldn't be sure. She sighed at the feel of the cool cloth on her face and stroked the baby's small cheek. "I went into labor here in the Pie Hole, but the phones didn't work and the door was blocked by all the snow. Ned ended up coaching me through the whole thing…" Olive elucidated, barely able to hold up her own head.

"I know."

Olive looked at her, confused. "What?"

"Our car broke down on the way back here, so we got out and made our way through the snow on foot." Chuck pulled up Olive's sodden hair with a scrunchie and held the cool cloth to her neck. She was on autopilot. "We made it back just in time to see everything."

Olive gulped, the memory of the kiss springing to her mind. "Everything?"

"Yep." Chuck beamed. "When we got here, we peeked through the blinds to see if Ned was still down there, so we could move the snow away from the door and he could let us in. Not only did we see Ned, but, well, we also saw the scene unfolding in front of us. We waited about five more minutes until we saw the baby had made it okay, and then rushed to get the sledgehammer from the shop next door, so we could get to you quickly and get you safe."

"So, you didn't see anything else."

"No, but, I wish we could have gotten to you sooner! Oh Olive, I am so, so sorry you had to go through this all alone…"

"I wasn't alone." Olive smiled. "Ned is a phenomenal coach."

Chuck grinned. "Thank God for that…"

"Charlotte Charles," Olive broadcasted her friend's name with a hint of joking formality as she lifted the nursing infant from her chest. "Come meet your baby girl."

Olive handed Chuck her baby, and Chuck had to catch her breath. That's when the tears came…again.

Chuck looked upon her baby's scrunched-up face. "Oh Ned, she's so beautiful!"

Ned had to agree. "She really is perfect, isn't she?"

Chuck nodded. "Our little…our little Lillian Olive. After my mother and my dearest friend."

Olive felt a twinge of guilt. "It was nothing, dear. You would have done it for me…" In reality, she ached horribly.

Ned snorted. "Nothing? So you were moaning like a beached whale because of _nothing_?"

Olive exhaled sharply. "Why don't you try to push a watermelon out through your nostril. THEN we'll talk!" Olive yelled, wincing. Of course she noted, this ache was nothing compared to what she had been feeling 10 minutes ago…

Chuck glared at him. "Not the time, Ned."

Fredo rushed to his wife's side. "Oh, I should have never left you for a minute!" He held her head in his hands and examined her from all angles. "Did it hurt?"

Olive glowered at her husband. "No, hon. Not a bit. That's why I'm dripping with sweat. It was easy! A piece of cake! No pain, AT ALL!" Olive was still a tad testy from the whole ordeal, and, after the kiss, she felt uneasy with her husband.

He felt horrible. "Sorry…dumb question."

"Yeah, it was. But don't feel guilty about leaving. I was in great hands."

Emerson shook his head and sauntered over to Chuck to peer at the new member of the Pie Hole family. He actually smiled, giving Olive a thumbs up. "Ya did a good job, Itty Bitty. She's gorgeous. And, though I had my eyes covered most of the time, from what I saw it looks like she had one hell out a journey into the world."

Olive nodded. "I'm not gonna lie. It was really, really hard. But Ned got me through it…."

Chuck handed Ned the baby and ran over to Olive, enveloping her in a hug. "Thank you…." She stammered, ignoring the question. "Just….thank you."

Olive was distraught. _What am I going to do? _She looked at Alfredo, her husband, who had loved her unconditionally for two years, mood swings and all. She

looked at Chuck, her best friend, who had always dropped whatever she was doing to be of assistance whenever she needed her. She looked at Emerson….well…..okay, so Emerson really wasn't that big of an issue. But then she looked at Ned, and her heart sank. That kiss…had it meant anything? Or was it just another random display of extreme gratitude?

The names, faces, and memories began to swirl around in Olive Snook's head, the colors blurring together in a cataclysmic cornucopia of guilt and shame. She became dizzy. It was too much.

"Ned…" she said in a voice barely audible.

Ned looked up, handed the baby off, and walked over to her. He kneeled next to her and placed a comforting hand on her back. "Yeah?"

"Catch me…" Olive murmured, before collapsing, out cold.


	15. Song of Sorrow

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Olive? Chuck, come here. I think she's waking up…"

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Olive Snook was aware of Ned's sweet, velvet voice, even while she was asleep. She wanted to open her eyes and calm all of his fears, but her eyelids were welded shut, and the words she screamed inside her head refused to escape her lips.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Olive felt Chuck's comforting fingers comb through her hair. "Olive?" She whispered. "Olive…please say something, honey. Please…" There was a hint of desperation in her voice.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Olive fought full-force with the merciless darkness that engulfed her. She hungered for a glimpse of the Piemaker's face. She heard dwindling footsteps and the creaking of a door being shut. Though her body remained still, she thrashed about in her mind, clawing her way toward consciousness.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Olive," Chuck repeated, her voice trembling. "Please say something…"

Olive swallowed, but was only able to mutter one, solitary word.

"Crap."

"Olive?!" She heard chuck exclaim. "Olive, are you awake?" Her voice was saturated with relief.

Olive's eyelids pried apart, only to be met by a blinding white light. Her eyes snapped shut again, and she re-opened them, cautiously this time. Blinking repeatedly into the brightness, Olive looked around before saying anything else. She was in a hospital bed. The sheets were sticky and uncomfortable.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Olive's eyes darted to a machine in the corner of the room that was--she realized after a moment-- connected to her arm. That's where the beeping had been coming from! She remembered it now, haunting her even while she was asleep.

The room was a sickly, dingy white and it smelled of mouthwash and disinfectant. The glare of the fluorescent lights above her reflected brightly from the stainless-steel cabinets that lined the wall to her left, which only added to the room's abrasive feel. Chuck's broad grin suddenly popped into Olive's frame of vision.

"Crap." She muttered again. This was _not_ the face she had been hoping to see.

"Olive!!!" Chuck threw her arms around her friend and inspected her thoroughly. "I was so worried!"

Olive was about to ask what had happened, when I sharp cry erupted from a bassinette in the corner of the room. "Oh!" Chuck bopped herself in the forehead with the heel of her hand as she hurried over to the cradle. "I woke the baby!" She picked up the crying infant and kissed her forehead. "Shhh…." She soothed. "It's alright." Her right palm cradled the child's head.

Everything came back to Olive now: the labor, the birth, and then…the kiss. She was suddenly confused. "All I remember was the ki- I mean….the birth, and then…you came…and then…darkness." She reached up to massage her suddenly aching forehead and, to her surprise, found it was thoroughly wrapped in gauze.

"Ow…" she winced. "Wha…what happened to me?"

Chuck tenderly placed the quieted baby back it her bassinette before for she explained. "I'm really not positive why, but you passed out. Your head fell backwards and you busted it open on the bar. We called the ambulance and they picked us all up. That's a pretty nasty cut you've got there." Chuck gestured to Olive's bandaged forehead. "You needed about 12 stitches. Thankfully, the doctor said you and the baby will be fine." Chuck cooed at the infant. "He wants to keep you here over night though. He is worried that the stress of such a surprisingly fast labor and the head trauma may have been a little much for you. He just wants to make sure you won't pass out on us again. You lost a good amount of blood. You just missed Ned. He ran home to check on Digby."

"CRAP!" She reiterated as she slammed her fists down, taking special care as to hit the bed and not the metallic railing. She didn't try to hide the profanity this time.

Chuck shook off the remark and sat down by Olive's feet in the hospital bed. "Olive…" she began, not sure where to start. " I really can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. Growing up, I always pictured myself with a family, and when I realized that Ned and I…that we couldn't ever have kids…I…." her voice trailed off as she thought. "I gave up hope. But then I came to you, and you just accepted everything so willingly…I could have never done that. You are a much stronger person that I am Olive. A much better person, and I am so grateful that you are a part of my life..."

Olive's heart sank as her conscience ruthlessly chastised her.

Chuck continued. "You're so selfless. You've really taught me what it means to be a true friend. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a sister…the closest thing I've ever had to a best friend since I was eight years old." She looked lovingly over at the cradle again. "If not for you, I would never have her…" Her eyes were misty.

"Can I…." Olive hesitated. "Can I hold her?"

Chuck nodded with a grin and lifted the sleeping newborn from her plush haven and padded soundlessly over to Olive, placing the infant in her arms. "She looks like you," Chuck whispered.

Olive's heart swelled and she felt the blood drain from her face. The baby's serene features did resemble hers…she even had silky wisps of blonde hair framing her face. She hadn't noticed this at the Pie Hole. The extreme passion, the love she had for this child suddenly burst forth, and Olive clutched her chest with her free hand as if to stop it from escaping.

"Olive?" Chuck asked, her voice still hushed. "Will you be okay alone for a few minutes?"

Olive tore her eyes away from the angel she was cradling in her arms to answer. "Uh huh. Don't worry about me."

"Okay then. I'm going to run down to the little girls' room. I'll be back."

"Okie Dokie," Olive muttered to the empty room. Chuck had already left.

Olive looked down at the infant, and took a deep breath as the passion inside her burned a hole through her soul. She rocked the newborn back and forth as the music from the orchestra in her heart spilled forth as it often did in times of sorrow.

_If I should stay,  
I would only be in your way.  
So I'll go, but I know  
I'll think of you every step of the way._

And I will always love you.  
I will always love you.  
You, my darling, you.

Bittersweet memories  
that is all I'm taking with me.  
So, goodbye. Please, don't cry.  
We both know I'm not what you, you need.

And I will always love you.  
I will always love you.

I hope life treats you kind  
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of.  
And I wish to you, joy and happiness.  
But above all this, I wish you love.

And I will always love you.  
I will always love you.  
I will always love you.  
I will always love you.  
I will always love you.  
I, I will always love you.

That's when the tears came, and Olive held the infant as close to her as she possibly could. The baby's blanket muffled the waitress' sobs, but her shoulders still shook. The lump in her throat was unbearable, and the pounding in her head was more prominent than ever. The beeping of the machine next to her sounded fiercely now, which prompted the doctor to come rushing in, shortly followed by to nurses. He studied the figures on the machine and furrowed his brow. Olive's whole body continued to quake with her cries, and she ignored the doctor until she felt his hands wrap around her daughter.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled.

"I'm afraid we'll have to take the baby away, now. We want to run a few more tests to make sure she's alright, and in the meantime I think we'll get you a new IV drip to calm you down so you can sleep."

"I don't need to sleep!" She argued. "I need my baby!"

"She'll be fine, dear," the doctor said, clearly aggravated now. "Don't you worry."

"Give me back my baby!" Olive sobbed, clearly having reached the point of hysteria. The doctor ignored her outburst and left the room, closing the door a little louder than necessary.

"Give me back my baby…" Olive whispered to the empty room, defeated. "Don't take her away from me...."


	16. Down With Love

Olive Snook had stopped crying hours ago; she realized it was useless to waste so many tears on something she couldn't control. She sat miserably, her head thrust back against the pillow at an odd angle, not even bothering to wipe away the moisture that remained on her face. Despite the medicine the doctor had given her, Olive fought against her droopy eyelids. She would not sleep. Not when she was so sure of the nightmares that would torture her as soon as she drifted into slumber. The silence was deafening, The dull beeping of the machine still hooked to her arm was all that could be heard. In fact, the noise occurred so often Olive didn't even notice it anymore. It had faded away in her mind like an old, irrelevant dream.

Ned was kind of like the beeping, she thought to herself. At first it had been a prominent, blasting siren, nagging her constantly, tearing at her heart until she thought she couldn't stand it one more minute! But then she found Alfredo, and the beeping faded into her subconscious. But alas, it was always there, even when she had forced herself to believe it wasn't so. There had always been a part of her that knew it was there all along, but she had chosen to overlook this part of herself; it was less painful it she did. Unless, of course, she allowed herself to remember it, at which time all of the agony she had been stowing away would burst forth with tremendous power, shredding her to bits.

But then, she had never 'not thought about it' for more than a few months at a time. What if she ignored the beeping for so long it would gradually vanish from her mind? What if she forced herself to forget about him for such a long margin that all she'd have left would be the memory that he'd ever existed in the first place?

_That would be nice_, she though to herself. Then She shook her head vigorously, as if to throw the picture of his face from her mind. _Olive Snook, how pitiful are you? Stop thinking about him! You'll only make it worse! _She continued to chastise herself until she let her gaze fall upon a palm-sized brand-new radio lying on the table beside her bed. _Was this here the whole time? Silly girl, you could have been listening to music instead of thinking about that silly man…wait a minute, what's this? _She peeled a small, crème-colored note off of the radio and held it close to her face, inspecting it. Her eyes focused on the messy scrawl.

"Olive," she started to read aloud. She had not spoken in such a long time that her own voice sounded foreign. "Thought you might want something to keep you occupied..."

She laughed bitterly to herself before continuing.

"The 'on' switch is on the back. I hope you like it. From—"

The name stuck in her throat. It was from _him. _She would not allow herself to think the name. Her eyes started to burn and her face suddenly became very hot. She furiously tore the note into the tiniest pieces she could and watched them slip through her fingers and float solemnly toward the ground. When her job was done, she exhaled loudly through her mouth. She felt her face start to cool, but placed the radio back on its perch.

A few minutes of extreme boredom and curiosity were all she needed, though, to pick the thing back up again. It was a glossy red, and it, much like the stainless-steel cabinets caught the glare of the oppressive overhead lights. She turned in over and over in her hands, her fingers memorizing the placement of every button and knob. _It wouldn't hurt to try it,_ she thought. _Yeah, I'll just listen to one song. Just one. _She turned the switch to the 'on' position (after all, she knew where to find it) and turned the dial until she came to a clear station.

_Hands touch, eyes meet  
Sudden silence, sudden heat  
Hearts leap in a giddy whirl  
He could be that boy  
But I'm not that girl:_

She dove for the dial with a shriek, and was grateful to hear the static that followed. She sighed with relief as she came to another station.

"_L" is for the way you look at me_

"_O" is for the only one I see_

"_V" is very, very, extraordinary_

"_E" is even more that anyone that I adore_

_And LOVE, is all that I can give to you…_

"Love, is a real big lump of…horsey poo!" She substituted her own, more satisfactory lyrics as she searched for another station. She came upon another song; the bass caught her attention.

_Down with love_

_With flowers_

_And rice_

_And shoes…._

Olive arched an eyebrow down at the radio, surprised.

_Down with love_

_The root of all midnight blues_

Olive nodded n sympathy with the lyrics, increasingly pleased with the tune.

_Down with things that give you that well-know pain._

_Take that moon wrap in cellophane! _

_Down with love_

_Let's liquidate all its friends._

_Such as moon…June…roses and rainbows' ends._

_Down with sons that moannnn about night and day…_

She giggled now, finding the lyrics rather ironic.

_Down with love_

_Take it away, away!_

This was just too perfect! She bobbed her head up and down in time with the music, throwing in an occasional "Heck yes!" where she saw fit. She danced as well as she could within the confinements of her bed, and laughed until her stomach hurt. It felt so good to laugh again! She hummed along once she became familiar with the melody, and turned up the volume as loud as the cheap speakers would permit. By the time the song came to an end, Olive Snook felt exhilarated and free! _Forget him!_ She thought as she exhaled with pleasure. _I don't need him!_

It was then that Olive Snook saw her future clearly for the first time in a long time, and, needless to say, the Piemaker was **not** in it.

*****Authors note: **If you are interested in hearing the last song Olive Snook listened to, here is a link: .com/watch?v=l4HwCb8cktQ Thanks for reading and keep checking in for updates!


	17. Laments and Love

**NOTE: Before reading this chapter, please go back and review the ones mentioned on my profile. I updated those!**

Refreshed and rejuvenated, Olive Snook sat, clutching her radio, silently praying for her new favorite song to play again. She waited…and waited…and waited, until finally she gave up and turned the radio off. She laughed at herself; how silly she's been! Letting a man get to her like that when she was married! She shook her head and sighed, feeling lighter than she had in a long time.

She jumped suddenly as she heard the click of the doorknob turning, only to be appalled by the sight of the one person she did not want to see. The Piemaker, hands in his pockets as usual, was shortly followed by Alfredo, looking more worried than ever. Light bulb! She could use this to her advantage.

"FREDO!" she shrieked with delight, ignoring Ned altogether. "I missed you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Ah, the fireworks were there, after all. She kept a satisfied eye on the Piemaker's uneasy expression. When the couple was through, she pretended to take notice of Ned's presence for the first time. "Oh, hey Ned," she tried to make her voice sound indifferent. She flicked an imaginary piece of lint off her hospital gown.

"Hey Olive. I just wanted to make sure you were okay,"

"Well I wasn't before…" she made googly eyes at Fredo before continuing. "But I certainly am _now_" She reached up and kissed her husband again.

"Oh…" Ned was confused. Olive was acting very strange. "Okay, then. I'm, uh, glad to hear that. I was worried about you back at the Pie Hole during the whole…you know…"

"When I was '_moaning like a beached whale_'?" Her sarcasm pierced Ned's heart.

"I'll, um," His voice cracked. "I'll leave you two alone," He left the tiny hospital room and closed the door just in time to see Chuck striding up the hallway with their brand-new baby in her arms. The way she glowed with pride and protectively held their daughter, Chuck already looked the part of a Mom.

"Ned," she breathed with happiness. "They said we can take her home, now!"

"That's wonderful…" he responded, only half-listening.

"You don't sound happy." The corner of her mouth turned down.

"Olive's acting…strange."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, she...well she completely ignored me just now, but she practically _threw_ herself at Alfredo…"

"Uh, last time I checked they were married. He is her husband, you know. What did you expect her to do? The woman gives birth in a pie restaurant, passes out, and gashes her head open on the corner of a booth. I think she's had it pretty rough today."

"Yeah…" that's when it hit him. "Chuck…what time is it?"

"4:30 in the morning. Why?"

"It's _Christmas_, and Olive is stuck in the hospital because of us!"

"Oh no, you're right! Ned...we have to make this up to her. I feel terrible!"

As Ned looked at her, he could sense the gears turning in her head. She was plotting something, and that was usually dangerous.

"I don't like that look on your face, Chuck. That means you're planning a surprise something-or-other, and you know I don't like surprises."

"I was a surprise," she said with a sly grin. "She was a surprise," Chuck held up Lillian so that Ned could see her.

"That's different…those were good surprises." He grinned. "And _SHE_," Ned gestured to the infant, "was _definitely _a surprise. This was the scariest night of my life. I really didn't think Olive was going to make it…" His voice cracked as he remembered Olive's face, twisted with agony. "I didn't think our baby was going to make it." He wiped away a tear that was trickling down his cheek.

"Oh, honey…" Chuck wasn't used to seeing Ned show so much emotion. "You must have been so scared."

"Oh, Chuck it was awful! She was screaming and yelling and crying! I was terrified…and then when she told me the baby was coming right now, I couldn't move. She needed me, Chuck, and I just sat there like an idiot staring at her. She was practically begging me to help her, and I couldn't. And then she…she started pushing without me." He was looking straight ahead of him, but not seeing anything. "How horrible is that? She was sitting there, having my baby, and had to start pushing without me because I was too big of a jerk to snap out of it."

"You were just frightened, hon, that's all. Everything turned out fine."

"But it almost didn't! And…and then the cord was around Lillian's neck, Chuck."

Now Chuck looked scared. "Ned! What did you do?" She clutched the baby close to her chest, protectively.

"I had to undo it myself. Olive couldn't! I took so long. She was lying there, begging for me to hurry up. She was in so much _pain_…"

"Stop, Ned. Please. I don't want to hear any more." She was crying now, too. "What did we do to her? I wish I had been there. I _should _have been there! I would have been there, if I hadn't gone with Emerson like a fool, when I knew Olive was due soon…" She shook her head. "You wouldn't have been all alone."

"It wasn't your fault. I wasn't anyone's fault. It's just the way things happened. Things just…happen…"

"But, poor Olive. She's been through so much for us."

"Believe me, I know. Ned yearned to reach over and give Chuck an emotional Heimlich as he watched tears run swiftly down the face he loved so much. He was lost for words.

Chuck looked up at him and spoke low and firm. "We will make this up to her. We _will_." Then she sighed. "But for now, let's just focus on welcoming the newest member of the family into our lives."

Ned gazed at his wife and his child lovingly. Chuck passed Lillian over to him, and he felt his heart leap as the infant took a tight hold on to his pinkie finger and babbled happily.

**Meanwhile….**

Olive was nestled peacefully next to her husband, eyes closed. He talked to her softly, romantically. She was so comforted by his presence; she felt…_complete_ with him next to her.

"Olive?"

"Mmmm…" she answered.

"I love you."

"I know." She giggled. "I love you, too." She wound her arms around him, enjoying the feeling of his warmth in contrast to the cold room. She couldn't believe she had ever doubted their relationship. He really, truly loved her, flaws and all. And, despite the minor hiccup they had recently experienced, she really, truly loved him, too. She synchronized her breathing with his so that they moved together as one. A whole.

"Olive?"

"Yeah?" she noted that the tone of his voice was different, now.

He hesitated. "Does our apartment ever seem…_empty_ to you at all?"

**THE END….for now!!! Keep your eyes peeled for the sequel!!! Thanks to everybody who kept up with this story, especially hairsprayheart. Your sweet words really helped me to keep going!**


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